Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Housing and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:54 pm on 3 February 2021.
I'm very grateful for the feedback that I've had from the social housing sector about the work they are doing with tenants who have got into difficulties during the pandemic, enabling them to access discretionary housing payments through Cardiff Council, if required, and supporting them to come up with sustainable plans for tackling any arrears. So, I think that there is a bigger problem bubbling in the private rented sector. The National Residential Landlords Association data for Wales and England reveal a noticeable spike in rent arrears, particularly among young people and the self-employed. Many people are having to claim universal credit for the first time in their lives and are having to come to grips with the fact that the housing allowance rarely covers the rent they are actually being charged. That's a particularly acute problem if they are under 35, where they'll only be able to claim for a room in a shared house. So, the NRLA is calling for a 12-month moratorium on that pernicious requirement and is also flagging up the UK Government's decision to freeze the local housing allowance, in cash terms, in the recent spending review. So, we are obviously facing some pretty bumpy times ahead for private tenants, and I wondered what intervention might be needed to prevent large numbers of young people in particular, who are normally not eligible for council housing, from being evicted and to give time for rent levels to adjust to the new normal in the difficult times ahead.